No man can become rich without himself enriching others. For decades, wealthy individuals and families in underdeveloped nations have donated to promote education and alleviate societal problems including widespread poverty, starvation, diseases, and epidemics. Ogun State is the second-most industrialized state in Nigeria and has a population of about 2 million people. Many wealthy Ogun state residents have excelled in their fields of endeavor and amassed riches through their engagements and professions.
- Mike Adenuga: Unquestionably, Mike Adenuga is the richest man in Ogun State and Nigeria’s second richest man, regularly listed among Forbes’ billionaires. He is a businessman and owner of Nigeria’s largest indigenous telecom company, globacom and conoil, one of the country’s largest downstream oil and gas companies. He is a native of Ijebu-Igbo in Ogun State.
As regards his philantrophic work, for many years, he boosted the popularity of football in Nigeria and Ghana by sponsoring their Premier Leagues and national teams. Not only did he spend over N15 billion on Nigerian football, but he also donates to the annual CAF Awards, making it the continent’s most spectacular sporting event. In return, the CAF named him a Pillar of African Football. His contributions to education are well-documented, including endowing professorial chairs and donating computer laboratories to a number of universities. He gave N1.5 billion in the aftermath of the COVID-19 outbreak to give the national fight against the virus a boost, just as he did a few years ago when he donated N500 million to flood victims across the country.
On the individual level, he has impacted the lives of thousands of people – employees, associates, friends, relations, acquaintances and old school mates. Most astonishing is the support he offers to strangers whose predicament he knew through the social media. For example, his attention was drawn to an ailing Nollywood veteran who required N2 million in surgery. Adenuga raised N5 million to pay the expense of his treatment and additional N10 million for his post-treatment rehabilitation. A petty food trader’s story went viral on social media when she stripped naked and destroyed her merchandise after a customs official whose love advances she had turned down framed her for a crime she had no knowledge of. Adenuga handed her N3 million to rent a good shop and N10 million to stock up on supplies. These instances are legion.
In an interview granted explaining his philanthropy, he said, “I have worked hard most of my life and I believe I have been fortunate. My good luck has put me in a position where I can now give something back in the country where I was born, as well as the continent of Africa. This is where I come from. This is my home, and this is where I would like to make a real difference by helping to create a better and more equitable future, supporting initiatives that will enhance socio-economic development. The idea of a foundation is something I have been considering for a long time…The aim is to find visionaries of tomorrow. To find and nurture young people with ideas and drive to make a difference in Africa, in a really hands-on way. This is the legacy I would like to leave behind. Therefore, a great deal of the energy of the Mike Adenuga Foundation will be devoted to entrepreneurship.”
2. Chief Chris Ogunbanjo: Chief Christopher Oladipo Ogunbajo (born December 14, 1923) is a Nigerian corporate lawyer and philanthropist from Ogun State in Nigeria. He was an early proponent of domiciliary accounts in Nigeria, which were eventually established by the Foreign Currency Decree 18 of 1985. He is one of a group of businesspeople who promoted local equity involvement in international corporations operating in Nigeria in the late 1960s. He co-founded his first law firm then known as Samuel, Chris and Michael with his partners; Chief Samuel Akintola, former Premier of Western Nigeria and Late Justice Michael Odesanya. After the dissolution of the partnership in 1960, he created Chris Ogunbanjo & Co; a commercial law firm considered to be the building platform for many successful luminaries in Nigerian Legal Practice.
Chief Christopher is an exceptional philanthropist who has assisted many people in Nigeria, in addition to his remarkable achievements in law and business. He established a number of endowments in Nigerian colleges, primarily for the advancement of the legal profession, such as the Chris Ogunbanjo Trust Fund (University of Lagos) for awards in Company Law and Land Law, as well as the Elias Chair of Jurisprudence (UNILAG).
The Chris Ogunbanjo Foundation is focused on attaining an Industrialized Nigeria through the promotion of peace and conflict resolution. He is a great Philanthropist of our time and a community man. Chief Chris Ogunbanjo donates to several worthy causes and helps to shape the lives of the future generation. He has built a 24-stall market in his hometown of Erunwon, as well as the Community Centre at Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife and the Rev. Daniel Ajayi Ogunbanjo Community Centre in Ago Iwoye. He also sponsored the construction of The Church of the Epiphany, Erunwon, Ijebu-Ode and a police post for the community.
3. Olusegun Adebutu Kesington: Segun Adebutu is a businessman, economist, and philanthropist from Nigeria and is worth over $900 million. He has commercial interests in oil and gas, shipping, mining, building, real estate, agriculture, and entertainment. He is the chairman and CEO of Petrolex Oil and Gas, which is currently building Africa’s second-largest refinery. He also owns Bluebridge Marine Ltd, Bluebridge Minerals, Oladiran Agro-Allied Company, and Oladiran Engineering & Trade Ltd.
Segun Adebutu also founded the Baseline Records label, which has signed singers such as Skales and Saeon. He is a board member of Premier Lotto, a Nigerian gambling company. Baba Ijebu’, Kesington Adebukunola Adebutu, the billionaire’s father is the founder and director of Premier Lotto Nigeria Limited.
Segun Adebutu is also the founder and financier of the Oladiran Olusegun Adebutu Foundation (OOA), a non-governmental organization that focuses on economic empowerment, health, community investments, philanthropy, and vocational enterprise for vulnerable women and children in crises.
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